Wheeled rollout carts, such as the carts manufactured by Toter Incorporated of Statesville, N.C., are widely used for automated curbside waste and recycling collection by cites and private waste haulers. Wheeled rollout carts have been used since the 1960s. Rollout carts have a simple construction, large rugged plastics bins with plastic wheels secured to axle rods by push nut fasteners.
While convenient inexpensive fasteners, the use of push nut fasteners creates both assembly and disassembly problems for wheeled rollout carts. Typically, rollout carts are assembled by hand with the push nuts pounded onto the axle rods with a hammer. Often the push nuts are not affixed on the axles squarely. If not pressed onto the axle ends squarely, the push nuts may pop off. Improperly seated push nuts is a common problem for wheeled rollout carts. Push nuts are also difficult to remove once pressed onto the axle. The teeth formed in the capped head of the push nut allow the nut to be pressed linearly onto the axle, but prevent the nut from sliding back off the axle. Consequently, push nuts must be pried, cut or ground off the cart axle rods. Often the easiest method for removing push nuts is to grind them off the axle rod, but none of these methods are quick and effortless.
While complex automated assembly equipment has been made, which can press push nuts onto axles, such equipment is impractical and costly for the simple assembly of wheeled rollout carts. Automated equipment relies on hydraulic and pneumatic presses or electrically powered solenoids to install push nuts. While effective in purely manufacturing settings, automated equipment are not well suited for the assemble and disassembly of rollout carts, which is often done in the field where a hand operated tool is most convenient and effective. Moreover, automated assembly equipment is designed only to affix the push nuts, not remove them from the axles. A simple hand operated tool is needed for the assembly and disassembly of wheeled rollout carts that can both affix push nuts to axle rods and remove push nuts from axle rods.